Disclosed herein is an apparatus for charging a photoconductor and cleaning a scorotron grid.
Presently, in electrostatographic or xerographic printing, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a charge-retentive imaging surface, such as the surface of a photoconductor, and then developed with an application of toner particles. The toner particles adhere electrostatically to the suitably-charged portions of the photoconductor. The toner particles are then transferred, by the application of electric charge, to media, such as print sheets, to form the desired image on the media. An electric charge can also be used to separate or “detack” the print sheet from the photoreceptor.
For the initial charging, transfer, or detack of an imaging surface, a scorotron can be used to apply a predetermined charge to the imaging surface. A scorotron includes a conductor, which is electrically biased and thereby supplies ions for charging the imaging surface. The conductor typically comprises one or more wires, such as corona wires, and/or a metal bar forming saw-teeth, such as a pin array. The conductor can extend parallel to the imaging surface along a direction perpendicular to a direction of motion of the imaging surface. Other structures, such as a screen grid, a conductive shield and/or a nonconductive housing, are typically present in a scorotron charging device, and some of these may be electrically biased as well.
A scorotron can become contaminated with debris, which results in non-uniform charging of the photoconductor and ultimately results in image quality defects. A flat cleaning brush can be used against the bottom of scorotron grid to periodically remove the debris from the grid. The brush traverses the grid by manual or automated operation. Unfortunately, the flat brush tends to deflect the center of grid, which results in the brush making reduced or no contact in center, where best cleaning is actually required.
Thus, there is a need for an improved apparatus for cleaning a scorotron grid that charges a photoconductor.